About the Pop Picks Collection

The collection will help Sprague Library meet increasing student interest in leisure reading materials to supplement our academic collections. The collection is available on the Main Level of the library in the Periodicals Reading Room – come in and check it out!

Featured Books

There's little debate that Robert De Niro is one of the greatest screen actors of his generation, perhaps of all time. His work, particularly in the first 20 years of his career, is unparalleled. De Niro become known for his deep involvement in his characters, resulting in extraordinary, chameleonic performances. Yet little is known about the off-screen De Niro--he is an intensely private man, whose rare public appearances are often marked by palpable awkwardness, in powerful contrast to his confident movie personae. In this compelling biography, Shawn Levy writes of these many De Niros--the characters and the man--seeking to understand the evolution of an actor who once dove deeply into his roles as if to hide his inner nature, and who now seemingly avoids acting challenges, taking roles which make few apparent demands on his overwhelming talent. This biography follows De Niro's roots as the child of artists who encouraged him from an early age to be independent of vision and spirit, to his intense schooling as an actor, the rise of his career, his marriages, his life as a father, restaurateur, and businessman, and, of course, his current movie career.

The long-awaited memoir by one of the most influential and beloved musicians of our time. In Herbie Hancock the legendary jazz musician and composer reflects on a thriving career that has spanned seven decades. A true innovator, Hancock has had an enormous influence on both acoustic and electric jazz, R & B and hip-hop, with his ongoing exploration of different musical genres.

The Emmy Award-winning star of How I Met Your Mother shares his experiences as a child star, Broadway performer and father in an over-the-top, humorous account creatively designed in the style of the popular interactive adventure series.